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For the last two fire seasons Lassen Volcanic National Park has been able to capture opportunities to manage fire on the landscape like never before. Taking advantage of the weather and burn opportunities, the park has conducted three prescribed fires totaling 5,470 acres, including the largest prescribed fire in the history of the park, the 4,090 acre Prospect Peak Fire. Significant lightning activity has also provided park staff the chance to manage naturally caused fires for the health of the park's ecosystems. During the same time period these natural fires spread across 4,958 acres of the park. Fire has touched nearly ten percent of the park's landscape which is commensurate with goals set forth in the Fire Management Plan. The recent successes are a result of years of preparation to take advantage of favorable conditions.
 "A tremendous amount of work preparing fire lines and thinning along project boundaries must be completed before any prescribed fire project can be initiated. This preparation work can sometimes take years before ignition can begin". said Park Superintendent Mary G. Martin".During the 2004-2005 fire seasons approximately twenty lightning caused fires were evaluated as potential fires that we could manage for healthy ecosystems. In 2003 the park did not receive a single lightning caused fire. Historically the park receives between seven and eleven natural fires per year". she added.
 Before this past century of fire suppression, natural fires played a role in shaping the forests and life in Lassen Volcanic National Park. Natural fires occurred frequently in many forest types. In Jeffrey pine and pine/white fir forest stands, fires burned every 4-25 years. In the higher elevation red fir and western white pine forests, fires burned at least once every seventy years. As a frequent visitor in the forests of Lassen Volcanic National Park, fire had an influence on the evolution of all life there.
Fire management actions will mimic natural fire occurrences to restore health and revitalize the forest ecosystems of Lassen Volcanic National Park".We have a ten year plan to ignite several prescribed fire units which will continue to secure our park boundaries and provide additional flexibility to manage natural fires in the wilderness interior". Martin said".We can't control the weather, but we can prepare for prescribed burn projects and be ready to manage natural fires. We may not be as lucky as we have been during the last two fire seasons, but we will be prepared for any future opportunities to reintroduce fire into this fire adaptive ecosystem we know as Lassen Volcanic National Park".
Contact: Scott Isaacson , Fire Communication & Education Specialist
Phone: (530) 595-4444 x5162 |
